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Intrigue, romance, and heart-pounding history—with riveting revelations
The exciting follow-up to the critically acclaimed A Time for Treason
LOSS OF INNOCENCE A Novel of the French Revolution
by Anne Newton Walther
Seven years ago, Anne Newton Walther made an impressive debut as a novelist with “a historical romance of the first order” (Booklist), A Time for Treason. Set on the brink of the American Revolution, it captured the excitement and danger of the mounting fight for independence. But what drew readers in and kept them gripped was Walther’s tale of the passionate relationship between Eugénie Devereux, a fictitious French noblewoman, and Bridger Goodrich, an actual American shipper of that time who became a privateer under the British flag during the war.
In her highly anticipated encore, LOSS OF INNOCENCE (Tapestries Publishing; July 14, 2007; $24.95), Walther continues the story of Eugénie, now a mature, self-assured, and striking woman, against the backdrop of another epic rebellion: the French Revolution. Beginning in the Bordeaux valley in the summer of 1789, the action swiftly moves to Versailles and then Paris, following the fall of the Bastille, as political upheaval escalates, culminating at the guillotine on October 16, 1793. Bringing back and adding to her cast of complex and colorful characters, Walther deftly interweaves the fictitious and the factual. The Marquis de Lafayette, Germaine de Staël, Georges Danton, the Comte de Mirabeau, and Maximilien Robespierre are among the many historical figures with prominent roles. The novel also presents an in-depth, eye-opening, and sympathetic portrayal of Marie Antoinette and reveals a historical plan by a covert alliance of French nobles and courageous Americans to rescue the queen from her prison in France. The bold deliverers plot to spirit her across the Atlantic to the banks of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania—the site of a town named Azilum, built expressly for the proud, frivolous, fragile, faithful, and fatally misrepresented wife of King Louis XVI.
LOSS OF INNOCENCE opens at the Château de Beaumont, Eugénie’s home and vast estate in the Bordeaux valley, shortly after the fall of the Bastille. A committed revolutionary, like her friend Lafayette, she is a woman in her prime who believes fervently in the necessity of social change for France. She has formed a network of agents, including Jamie Mackenzie, her estate manager, and Jeremy, her Master of the Horse, to keep her informed of events
1 beyond château’s walls. Disturbed by reports of growing anarchy, not only in Paris but also throughout France, and a monarchy under siege, Eugénie receives a surprising and cryptic invitation from Marie Antoinette. The queen’s message catapults her from her insulated château to Versailles, where escalating terrorism and riots are jeopardizing the personal safety of the royal family. Eugénie takes the plunge and risks her reputation and her life to join a bold mission to save them.
Punctuating the play of events are the comings and goings of Bridger Goodrich, with whom Eugénie has enjoyed a long-term romantic relationship. His presence brings her much- needed sanity and distractions from her dangerous plans.
Packed with action, suspense, and passion, LOSS OF INNOCENCE affirms Anne Newton Walther as an exceptional storyteller with a gift for making history and fiction equally exciting.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anne Newton Walther has a background in and a passion for history and psychology. A nationally recognized expert on the subject of divorce, she is the author of two respected books, Divorce Hangover and Not Damaged Goods. A highly sought after lecturer and head of a counseling firm, she has made numerous appearances on national talk shows, as well as local television and radio interview programs in the United States and Canada. Her debut novel, A Time for Treason, focused on her fascination with the American Revolution and the island of Bermuda. Loss of Innocence reflects her interest in the French Revolution and offers a uniquely sympathetic portrayal of Marie Antoinette. Walther was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and grew up in Virginia. She and her husband have raised five children and live in San Francisco.
LOSS OF INNOCENCE A Novel of the French Revolution By Anne Newton Walther Tapestries Publishing Publication Date: July 14, 2007 Hardcover; $24.95 ($35.95 in Canada) ISBN-10: 0-9676703-4-9 ISBN-13: 978-0-9676703-4-8
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